We have prepared a chart for you in hopes it may help you determine which perennials you should cut down before winter. If you still are uncertain, you can always “google” your perennial for more information.
Click on the “cut back perennials in fall or winter” below and the chart should appear.
Another growing season is almost in the books as we near the middle of October, but there is still time to plant. Here are a few fall favorites our staff highly recommend adding to the landscape. Check out the links for more information on these fall favorites!
Viburnums
This plant definitely fits into almost any landscape. Great on their own or combined to create a hedge or screening, viburnums provide interest spring through fall. Flowers, fruit, and fall color are some of the attributes you can expect among the different varieties of viburnum available at the garden center.
Lo Scape Mound Chokeberry
Compact and sturdy plant. Dainty spring flowers precede a small fruit ideal for jams and jellies. Berries are persistent, making this plant a spectacular four-season interest plant.
Hydrangeas
Although recognized for their summer blooms, hydrangeas continue to bloom well into fall. Not only do they maintain their blooms late into the year, but their fall foliage is also worth their weight in gold.
Dwarf Burning Bush
Boasting brilliant red foliage, the burning bush will be the spotlight of your fall landscape! Neighbors and passersby will stop to enjoy the vibrant color this plant offers.
Grace n Grit Roses
There are many different roses at the garden center, but the current showstoppers are the Grace n Grit Roses. They are currently available in pink, pink-bicolor, red, and yellow. These plants are still covered in buds and waiting to bloom!
Stop by the garden center and let us introduce you to our favorite plants for fall! Maybe you too will find your new fall favorites!
Have you done your fall decorating yet? Or need a pumpkin for Halloween carving? We have pumpkins: Colored, Warty and Large and Small. Stop by soon, especially if you are after the colored ones as they are selling fast. Enjoy fall with decorations that may include pumpkins, mums, witches, etc. Also before you know it Halloween will be here, so get your carving pumpkin now.
Some of us are happy and some of us are sad to be leaving summer behind. How did your garden do this summer? Lots of mildew due to all the rain we had? The heat and torrential rains were hard on gardens this year. Some of us even had to deal with hail.
Currently roses are blooming, (after August 15 they should no longer be fertilized as they need to go dormant), asters are just beginning their fall show, Black Eye Susans are still blooming, and grasses are spectacular (especially the Shenandoah). Coneflowers are fading fast. Be sure to leave some dried coneflower heads on the stems for the goldfinches to eat over winter.
Were you satisfied with the way your garden looked this summer? If you feel it was missing something, it may be that your garden needs some shrubs. Monrovia Nursery says that experts agree that shrubs are essential to a beautiful garden design. If you are starting a new yard/garden, trees and shrubs should be the first things to be planted. It is also recommended to plant a couple evergreens, shrubs or trees, in your garden for winter appeal and for some summer texture. Also, your house will probably have more curb appeal if you add a few evergreens to the foundation plantings. So, take a look around your garden and if you need some shrubs, Trees Today Nursery has a multitude of shrubs. September is a great time to plant as they will have plenty of time to take root before winter. Come see us for some shrubbery ideas to make your garden look spectacular next year.
Hydrangeas have become a top seller for many nurseries. The newer generations are looking for color in their yard with easy maintenance. Growers are steadily working on improving hydrangeas so that they blossom more and survive Zone 4 winters. In the last few years several new varieties have been developed for our zone. We currently have over 400 hydrangeas in stock, with about 20 varieties to choose from. If you are unsure of what will grow best in your yard and location of the sun, please talk to the staff and they will put you in the right direction of the ones that will do best. Following is a slideshow of some of our hydrangeas in stock.
Blue Enchantress
Pink Splendor
Seaside Fire Island Hydrangea
Photo courtesy of Monrovia Nursery
Berry White
Incrediball
Quick Fire
Vanilla Strawberry
Twist & Shout
Summer Crush Hydrangea
Photo by Trees Today Nursery
Pink & blue hydrangeas
Photo by Trees Today Nursery
Sea of Hydrangeas
Photo by Trees Today Nursery
Almost every week we get in around 200 coneflowers. They are our number one perennial seller. Customers flock to get them as they really perk up a garden. The colors they come in are amazing: the purples, pinks, oranges, whites, reds and it seems like each week we get a new variety. The one that really struck our eye in this last shipment is the Tiger Eye coneflower. It is just a wow orange with a rustic brown center. This is a Zone 4 hardy and reaches 18″ tall and wide. If you want one of these we advise you to stop in very soon as we are certain they will not be around long.
Tiger Eye Coneflower
Tiger Eye Coneflower
Well we survived winter and most of this awful spring. Soon it will be summer. Cheer yourself up and put a smile on your face. Buy some beautiful perennials or shrubs to perk up your yard. Presently our tables are full of perennials. We have many, many different types of shrubs and trees. The last couple of years hydrangeas and coneflowers have been the big sellers. We have at least 15 different types of hydrangeas, maybe even more as we get trucks every week. Last week over 200 blooming or budded coneflowers arrived and more will be coming this week. However, there are so many other plants that will bring color and joy to your garden. The new variety of phlox bloom for weeks; day lilies are improved every year so that many more are becoming rebloomers; grasses are still hot and we have lots of them, hardy habiscus plants plus so, so many more; shrubs like winterberry, new varieties of spireas, cheesehead potentilla, viburnums, ninebark, lacy elderberry, shrub roses, etc. Stop in and spruce up your garden and thoroughly enjoy it before winter hits us again.
Have you ever thought about adding a vertical plant to your garden? A clematis on a fun obelisk, on a trellis or on a simple piece of chicken wire attached to a couple posts will provide a beautiful vertical accent to your garden. Clematis’s come in all colors from blue to purple, from pink to red and even white. Some will bloom from spring to fall while others only bloom in select months. Our staff will tell you the pruning technique for the clematis you are interested in and how to plant it. Once establihed, they do not like to be moved. Some of the varieties we have in stock are H F Young, Tranquilite, Corrine, Issy, Edda, Roouge Cardinal, Sapphire Indigo, Rebecca, Garlland Tekia, Bernadine, Nubia, Sally, Boulevard Zara and Avante Garde, along with the ever popular Jack Manii. We also carry several obelisks and trellises. Stop in soon while you can still select the color you want.
Silver Moon
Photo by Trees Today Nurse
Nellie Moser Clematis Photo by Trees Today Nursery
Photo by Trees Today Nursery
Photo by Trees Today Nursery
Photo by Trees Today Nursery
This is the first year we are carrying the Jane Magnolia tree. It is quite similar to the popular Ann Magnolia tree, but there are some differences. The Jane Magnolia tree has larger flowers with more purple-pinkish-white petals whereas the Anne Magnolia flowers have fewer petals and are deep pink. Jane Magnolia blooms in late spring which is a bonus as earlier blooming varieties may have their buds nipped by late frost. Magnolias bloom before foliage appears so you will see a tree in blossom with no leaves to hide the flowers. The leaves are large and deep green in summer, turning to yellow in fall. The growth rate is about a foot a year but I have seen magnolia trees grow much more then a foot per year. Usually this tree produces sporadic blossoms throughout the summer. The tree does best in morning sun and filtered afternoon shade and will grow in just about any type of soil. In spring, when you see the Jane Magnolia tree in bloom and smell the perfume of the flowers, you will be extremely happy you purchased this tree. Please “Google” Jane Magnolia tree and you will see how beautiful this tree is in bloom.
Happy Spring! Finally spring has arrived. However it will still be weeks before you should begin to uncover your plants or work in your garden. In the meantime we will highlight a few plants that are new to our inventory this year or perhaps we added them last year. Hopefully one or two of these plants may be of interest to you and work in that spot where you need something alive and growing.
This week we have chosen Walberton’s® Plumtastic spirea. This compact plant is perfect for low borders or edging pathways. Plant it as a single species or in masses. It works well planted in a small, skinny area that you may have between your sidewalk and house. Plumtastic only gets around 16″ high and wide. Outside of being small, it has flushes of pink-cerise blooms that flower continuosly from summer into fall. The foliage opens to a rich purple and ages to green. It likes full sun. Like most spireas it is very easy to grow. Butterflies and bees love it. Google this plant and you will see some gorgeous pictures. We predict this plant to be a hot seller.
The snow has been falling and so have the temperatures. This is a good time to remind us that small gestures of kindness can even be extended to our feathered friends. If you like to see birds, you need to provide shelter and food sources to keep them in your yard.
Planting trees, shrubs, and perennials that birds like to feed on and nest in will encourage them into your yard.
Trees and shrubs that produce berries will provide the birds with a source of fuel. Especially the migratory birds so they can make it to their destinations.
Serviceberry trees and Eastern Redbuds are great examples of trees the birds love. Junipers (including red cedar) produce berries that the birds will enjoy.
Red Oaks and Lindens are examples of canopy trees that will provide shelter and food for the birds.
Most of us know to feed the birds by putting out seeds in bird feeders, but they also need a source of hydration. So if you are feeding the birds, consider adding a water feature such as a birdbath. There are so many different styles to choose from and one will be perfect in your landscape. Make sure you keep the birdbath clean as dirty water can be a hazard to the birds. There are heated bird baths that are available to use during these cold winter months. The birds will love their fresh water!
“A bird does not sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.” -Maya Angelou
